Junior High School Head Teachers’ Leadership Practices that Influence Teachers’ Effectiveness in the Teaching and Learning Process
Keywords:
Effectiveness, Inspirational, Leadership, Practices, InfluencesAbstract
This study adopted constructivists philosophical assumptions to examine junior high school head teachers’ leadership practices that influence teachers’ effectiveness in the teaching and learning process in the Sagnarigu North Circuit. Tamale, Ghana. The study employed a case study design and a qualitative approach. The study’s population comprised all the head teachers and teachers in the ten (10) junior high school under the Sagnarigu North Circuit. The convenience sampling technique was used to select twenty (20) teachers and ten (10) head teachers, making a sample size of thirty (30) participants. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the Municipal Education Office. Data were collected through face-to-face in-depth individual interviews using the Pen-and-Paper Personal method. The collected data were analysed using an inductive thematic analytical method. Findings were that for teachers to be effective in the teaching and learning process, school heads leadership practices should be based on high-quality of knowledge and skills in school leadership, instructional leadership practices and professional support for teachers do contribute positively to teacher effectiveness, inspirational leadership practices and heads’ adoption of teacher motivational strategies do impact on teacher effectiveness, concerns for teachers’ well-being and happiness as leadership practice enhances teachers' effectiveness and productivity, and the benefits of effective leadership practices include high level of teacher morale, increased teacher classroom effectiveness, improved students’ academic performance, adequate teacher motivation, and increased teacher commitment to work. Recommendations made include the Ghana Education Service (GES), in collaboration with experts in Educational Leadership and management organising training workshops for school heads to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in appropriate leadership practices and the Municipal Director of Education to organise in-service training for all school heads on leadership practices that will include participatory leadership practices, democratic leadership practices, instructional leadership practices, and inspirational and human relations practices.
References
Adu, E. O., Akinloye, G. M., & Olaoye, O. (2014). Demographic Variables as Determinants of Principal Managerial Efficiency. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 7(3), 605-614.
Al Khajeh, E. H. (2018). Impact of Leadership Styles on Organizational Performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research, 12(3), 1-10.
Amussah, A. (2020). Leadership Styles and their Impact on Employee Performance. School of Social Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia.
Berson, Y. & Avolio, B. J. (2004), Transformational Leadership and the Dissemination of Organizational Goals: A Case Study of a Telecommunication Firm. The Leadership Quarterly, 15 (5), 625-646.
Bouchamma, Y. (2012). Leadership Practices in Effective Schools in Disadvantaged Areas of Canada. Education Research International, 12(1), 712149.
Creswell, J.W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Creswell, J.W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approach. (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Creswell, J.W., & Poth, C. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches. (4th ed). Sage
Cole, G. A. (2006). Management Theory and Practice. Tweed: Martin Printers Ltd.
Crum, K. S. & Sherman, W. H. (2008). Facilitating High Achievement: High School Principals’ Reflections on their Successful Leadership Practices. Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 46 (5), 562–580.
Ebrahim, H. A. K. (2018). Impact of Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction. Journal of Human Resources Management Research. Vol. 2018 (2018), Article ID 939089, DOI: 10.5171/2018.939089
Gawaza, I, S. (2016). An Assessment of the Effects of Headteachers’ Leadership Styles on Teachers’ Job Performance in Selected Primary Schools in Dar Es Salam: Master of Education Unpublished Thesis, Open University of Tanzania
Glanz, K. Sallis, J. F. Saelens, B. E. Frank, L. D. (2007). Nutrition Environment Measure Survey in Stores (NEMS-S): Development and Evaluation. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32(4), 282–289.
Goldhaber, D. (2006). National Board Teachers are More Effective, but are they in the Classrooms where they’re Needed the most? Education Finance and Policy, 1(3), 372–382.
Harris, A., Day, C., Hopkins, D., Hadfield, M., Hargreaves, A., & Chapman, C. (2013). Effective Leadership for School Improvement. Routledge.
Javed, H. A., Jaffari, A. A., & Rahim, M. (2014). Leadership Styles and Employees’ Job Satisfaction: A Case from the Private Banking Sector of Pakistan. Journal of Asian Business Strategy,4 (3), 41-50.
Iqbal, A. (2010). A Comparative Study of the Impact of Principals’ Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction of Teachers. Ph.D. Unpublished Thesis, University of Punjab. Lahore, Pakistan.
Kibue A.W. (2008). Transformational Leadership Management of Public Secondary School in Kirinyaga District. Master of Education Unpublished Thesis, Nairobi, Kenyatta University.
Kumar, R. (2019). The Impact of Leadership Guide for Beginners. (5th ed.). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Lesomo, F. K. (2013). Influence of school managers leadership styles on pre-school teachers motivation: case for Ndundori division Nakuru county. Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi
Nguni, S., Sleegers, P., & Denessen, E. (2006). Transformational and Transactional Leadership Effects on Teachers' Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Primary Schools: The Tanzanian Case. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17(2), 145-177.
Nsubuga, Y. K. K. (2008). Developing teacher leadership. In 5th ACP Conference, Kampala, Uganda.
Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers, Inc.
Paudel, P. (2024). Examining paradigmatic shifts: Unveiling the Philosophical Foundations Shaping Social Research Methodologies. Journal of the Philosophical Ruhuna,12 (1), 45-58.
Ramos, N. (2014). Transformational Leadership and Employee Job Satisfaction: The Case of Philippines Savings Bank Batangas Branches. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research,2 (6), 6-14.
Sarwar, A., Mumtaz, M., Batool, Z. & Ikram, S. (2015). Impact of Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment. International Review of Management and Business Research, 4 (3), 834-844.
Silins, H. & Mulford, W. R. (2007). Leadership and School Effectiveness and Improvement, in International Handbook of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer Editors.
Sun, J. & Leithwood, K. (2015). Direction-Setting School Leadership Practice: A Meta-Analytical Review of Evidence about its Influence. An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, 26(4), 499-523.
Valentine, S., Godkin, L., Fleischman, G., & Kidwell, R. E. (2011). Corporate Ethical Values, Group Creativity, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention: The Impact of Work Context on Work Response. Journal of Business Ethics,98 (3), 353-372.
